International Affairs

Mammals of Korea

When he arrived at Texas Tech University in 2013, Yeong-Seok Jo was already a researcher
at the South Korean National Institute of Biological Resources. A mammal expert in
the Division of Animal Research, his dream was to write the first comprehensive treatment
of mammals of the diverse landscapes of the Korean peninsula – and to get his doctorate
in the Department of Natural Resources Management. A rapidly growing human population
makes the conservation of Korean biodiversity an urgent mission, and having a complete
list of species and a way to identify them is an essential step.

Now back in South Korea, Dr. Jo has completed both tasks. His doctorate, entitled
"Mammals of Korea: Conservation and management," was approved by the Graduate School
in December of 2015. His book "Mammals of Korea," co-authored with PhD advisor Dr.
John Baccus and committee member Dr. John Koprowski and beautifully illustrated by
Yo-Han Ji, was published in December 2018.

Dr. Mark Wallace, Chair of the Department of Natural Resources Management and a member
of Jo's graduate committee, said "he brought a very different perspective, one that
helped our traditional students see our wildlife resources and North American wildlife
management in a new light." Of his advisor, Dr. Jo said "He has been more than my
academic adviser; he has also treated me more like a son than a student." It is this
kind of personal interaction, as well as the university's reputation as a top research
institution friendly to international students, that has now brought his colleague,
Hong Seomun, to Texas Tech to conduct his own research in the NRM department.